Wednesday

A lot of exercise books and programs will tell you that you need to keep a journal of your daily diet and exercise routine. Most find this hard or just plain impossible, but from personal experience it is very eye opening. Some tips to help you keep track of your daily activities is:

• Get a Journal – Most feel a great release when writing down what they have done or felt in a personal journal. Well keeping track of your daily food/caloric intake is a life changing experience and can really help you get your life on track. Get a small pocket journal and keep it with you all day, at all times. Write down every snack, every drink, and every vigorous activity to get an accurate reading of your daily habits.• Subscribe to a Free Site – There are hundreds of sites that help you keep track of your food and exercise habits and give you calories earned/burned. Also, on mypyramidtracker.gov it will give you tips and extra information, along with a history analysis of your habits with suggestions for improving your habits to lead a healthy lifestyle.

• Pre-Plan – Instead of writing down what you have done write down what you should do! You can do this on your calendar to section off time for exercise, or write down your meals in your notebook a week ahead of time. This will help you keep on track versus seeing how off track you are.

• Do Your Research – Its okay to look things up or buy a book on something new. Buying a low calorie cookbook would be a great idea when starting a new diet to help you plan your meals in advance. You can also look up many exercise routines from different online journals or exercise websites. Remember to use variety in your diet and exercise programs so you do not get tired of your new routines. This will help you stick with your new lifestyle change.

By tracking your progress you will not only be able to change some of your bad habits, but stick with your lifestyle change. No matter how discouraged or hard it seems to keep up with, you just have to stick with it! Sticking with your program is more important than starting it, so stay motivated!